Study Finds That More Women Use Social Media Than Men

In a recent survey commissioned by BT, more than 2,000 British people were questioned to try and find out the habits of internet users and the differences between how men and women use the internet.

Study

The study found that over half of female internet users used social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, whilst only 34 % of men surveyed admitted to doing so. Similarly, out of those surveyed, 18% of women believed that, if the internet no longer existed, they would miss social media websites the most. This compares to just seven per cent of men, most of whom said they would miss most the ease of administration online, such as web banking.

Stereotypes Untrue

Interestingly the survey also quashed some of the popularly held stereotypes regarding the way the two sexes use the internet, the Daily Telegraph reported.

For example, the study showed that nine percent of women play online games compared to only eight per cent of men, whilst 13 per cent of men use content sharing websites, such as Flickr, YouTube and Vimeo, compared to only six per cent of women. It is often thought women are much bigger online gamers than men.

John Petter, managing director of BT’s Retail Consumer Division, said: “This research makes it clearer than ever how the nation has embraced the internet across all aspects of life and, in particular, the different way men and women use the Internet. People now take for granted that they can manage their life all in one place, from shopping and banking to entertainment and social media.”

The statistics show that while more women use the internet for research purposes – such as looking up shopping deals, more men turn to the web to supplement their learning and expand their knowledge on various topics.